Glucose metabolism disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia, are some of the most common endocrinal diseases experienced today. A number of factors have traditionally thought to be responsible for such conditions, including genetics, viral illness, and obesity. Recently, obesity has been named as a leading risk factor in the development of such conditions. Obesity is quickly reaching epidemic proportions in many parts of the world. This increase is largely blamed on changes dictated by modern lifestyles that have reduced daily physical activity, and on the abundance and availability of food.
Other aspects of many modern lifestyles and food technology seem to have further increased the incidence of obesity and glucose metabolism disorders. Particularly, the lifestyles of many people require that they frequently eat meals at restaurants, rather than meals prepared at home. Further, as a matter of convenience, many of the meals prepared at home today include, or may consist entirely of, pre-prepared portions that were obtained frozen, dehydrated, canned, or otherwise preserved, for quick and easy reconstitution. These pre-prepared foods, the foods obtained while dining at a restaurant, and other foods, such as soda pop, pastries, cookies, and candy, have become increasingly available, and most often contain high amounts of sugar, fat, salt, and other chemical preservatives. It is now thought that the consumption of such foods in significant quantities further increases the onset of various glucose metabolism disorders in and of itself, and further, is a contributory factor along with obesity. Sustained consumption of large amounts of sugar or other simple carbohydrates has particularly been identified as reducing insulin sensitivity.
The most frequent treatment for many glucose metabolism disorders is the administration of insulin. It is well known that insulin is the key substance produced in the body for facilitating glucose metabolism. In fact, most glucose metabolism disorders are a result of the body's inability to produce a sufficient amount of insulin to meet the demands presented by glucose concentration in the blood. While insulin administration is a life-saving procedure for many individuals, once insulin supplementation is commenced, it can almost never be stopped. Thus, many individuals become dependent on insulin supplementation for life. Additionally, the only currently approved method for insulin administration is via injection, which is painful and inconvenient.
Alternative methods for addressing various glucose metabolism disorders, rather than insulin supplementation, have also been sought. Such methods include both prophylactic and responsive measures. Specific examples of various proposed solutions include administration of certain proteins, peptides, nucleotides, and other bioactive agents. Such are found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,358,999, 6,361,807, 6,365,628, 6,368,597, 6,369,072, and European Patent Application No. 1,022,022, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. While a number of these specific measures may provide effective prevention or relief of various glucose metabolism disorders, many are expensive and time consuming, and may present various undesirable side effects.
Therefore, compositions and methods for treating and preventing blood glucose metabolism disorders continue to be sought through ongoing research and development efforts.